Greenberg's conjecture and capitulation in \(\mathbb Z_p^d\)-extensions (Q863961)

For an odd prime \(p\) and for \(d \geq 1\), let \(K\) be a \({\mathbb Z}_p^d\)-extension of a number field \(k\). Denote by \(Y_K\) the Galois group of the maximal abelian unramified pro-\(p\)-extension of \(K\), considered as a module over the completed group ring \({\mathbb Z}_p[[\text{Gal}(K/k)]]\). There is a conjecture by \textit{R.\ Greenberg} [Adv.\ Stud.\ Pure Math.\ 30, 335--385 (2001; Zbl 0998.11054)] about \(Y_K\) in the case that \(K=\widetilde{k}\), the compositum of all the \({\mathbb Z}_p\)-extensions of \(k\): this module should then be pseudo-null, that is, it should have at least two relatively prime annihilators. This conjecture, which had been previously verified for many fields, was proved by the author [Acta Arith.\ 108, No.\ 4, 357--368 (2003; Zbl 1091.11037)] for real fields \(k\) with \(\text{Gal}(k/{\mathbb Q}) \simeq ({\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z})^n\) as well as for some imaginary biquadratic fields \(k\). Now she extends these results by settling new cases of imaginary biquadratic fields \(k\), in fact, fields in which \(p\) is totally split. An iteration method enables her to provide a large class of imaginary fields \(k\) with \(\text{Gal}(k/{\mathbb Q})\simeq ({\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z})^n\) such that \(Y_{\widetilde{k}}\) is pseudo-null. The author also studies the capitulation of ideals in \(K/k\), assuming that \(K\) contains the cyclotomic \({\mathbb Z}_p\)-extension of \(k\). She proves, under this assumption, that if \(Y_K\) is pseudo-null then the direct limit (under the inclusion maps) of the \(p\)-class groups of the intermediate fields of \(K/k\) is trivial. The article concludes with numerical tables, for \(p=3\), about fields \(k\) with \(\text{Gal}(k/{\mathbb Q}) \simeq ({\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z})^n\), \(n=3,4\) or 5, such that \(Y_{\widetilde{k}}\) is pseudo-null. The above results imply that the pseudo-nullity of \(Y_K\) and, thus, the capitulation of ideals in \(K/k\) occurs not only for \(K=\widetilde{k}\) (which is a \({\mathbb Z}_3^d\)-extension of \(k\) with \(d=5,9\) or \(17\), respectively) but already for the \({\mathbb Z}_3^2\)-extension \(K=k\widetilde{F}\) of \(k\), where \(F\) is a suitable imaginary quadratic subfield of \(k\).